This blog is dedicated to all the gorditos, chubbies, huskies, bears, afrentados and foodies that love to eat delicious food and can't wait to hear where they should go next to get their grub on! I'm going to give you the 411 on all the places I love to frequent and all the places I seek out, like the culinary explorer that I am. I'm going to be real and tell what I feel and think. Bring on the comments and most importantly bring on the FOOD!

Sunday, March 9, 2014

A Spoonful of Sofrito: Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia Seed Pudding

Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia
Seed Pudding

A Spoonful of Sofrito:

A pinch of advice that will add a lot of flavor to your life.

Creamy Chocolate lava cake, tart key lime
pie, rich cheesecake or a moist slice of Tres Leches are all an incredible ooey-gooey
way to end a meal, but sometimes a healthy alternative like Chia Seed Pudding
can truly hit the spot.

Last month, I discovered this delicious
dessert thumbing through the pages of Food Network Magazine (one of my favorite
foodie magazines).Chia seeds are the
newest super food craze because of their high fiber content, omega 3 fatty
acids, and rich calcium content.

Cultivated by the Aztecs for thousands of
years, Chia seeds are becoming wildly popular in North America.Homeopaths and mainstream doctors alike recommend
adding chia seeds to smoothies, salads, and oatmeal to increase their
nutritional value.CBS’s Dr. Oz has
become a chia-champion; he talks about them every time he discusses nutrition
on his show.He considers them necessary for living a healthy lifestyle.

If you’re wondering if these are the same
seeds you spread on ceramic pots to grow those little green Chia pet Afros,
they are!Those micro-greens are
edible and taste like alfalfa sprouts (yes, I’ve tasted them!); most people
don’t know they’re added to salads all of the time.

Dry chia seeds taste like poppy seeds and
aren’t all that interesting, but when you prepare them in this dessert their
flavor blends very well with the sweetness of the fruit, nuttiness of the almonds
and the rich full flavor of the yogurt.They provide a delightful crunchiness to the dessert as well.

If you’re like
me, you want a dessert that’s going to satisfy your sweet tooth, especially
after a savory meal. Chia Seed Pudding
does exactly that and more. It’s
delicious, filling, and won’t raise your cholesterol, spike your blood sugar, or
make you feel like a gluttonous slob. So
at the end of dinner, pass on the Tiramisu and make yourself some Chia
Seeding Pudding! Don’t take my word for
it: Go taste for yourself! ¡Buen
provecho!

Why was I smiling?

Who is Ben The Pen Ramos?

I'm a cute, husky, Boricua lover of food and liberation. I educate, organize and moblize for various revolutionary causes in between having meals at, what I think are, some of the best restaurants, cafes, bars, cuchifritos, chimichurri trucks, and taquerias in the city.
I have never studied culinary arts/sciences; I am not a professional critic, nor do I have one of those super sensitive palettes that can divine every ingredient and spice in a meal.
My only qualification is that I am a fat ass that loves to eat food and share his opinion.
I watch alot of cooking shows on PBS, have watched every episode of Top Chef on the Bravo Channel and walk around the city aimlessly until I spot a restaurant that looks good!
I cannot cook to save my life, but I can eat with the best of them! Enjoy my blog!

Sofrito In My Soul

Sofrito in my soul, because I was lucky enough to be raised on delicious home made Puerto Rican criolla (typical food).

I learned to love food in my Mami's cocina (kitchen). I learned to appreciate the sacred, mystical, and transformative art of cooking and, most importantly, reveled in the epic journey that is eating and tasting!

Sofrito was the building block of every meal Mami masterfully crafted in her Five star Kitchen. Sofrito is a fragrant sauce and wet seasoning comprised of onions, garlic, pepper (either small sweet red peppers or green bell peppers), oregano, cumin, bay leaf, oil, and culantro puréed together in a blender.

A blend of African, Taino and Spanish culture all in one delicious green potion that provides the incredible explosion of flavor in every bite of Puerto Rican food. Whether it is used to marinade proteins, added to soup or stew stocks, or to flavor a caldero (pot) of beans, Sofrito is that little bit of Puerto Rican pride we add to all of our dishes.Sofrito in my soul, because through food, I travel the world, but despite however far I go, I always come back to my Mami's kitchen in Harlem; our little piece of Puerto Rico on W139th Street!